The Fast Route to a Rock-Hard Body

If you've never scaled your gym's climbing wall or gripped onto a slab of granite, it's the perfect time to hook in—rock climbing is now more popular, accessible, fun, and female-friendly than ever. So what can you expect when you expand your reach? For starters, a sharp, clear mind and a strong, lean physique.

Sasha DiGiulian's blonde ponytail and pink tank top pop against the jagged, sepia-toned rocks. Frustrated with the tape that's supposed to protect her fingers, the 22-year-old climber pauses to tear some of it off, then plunges her hand into the chalk bag hanging from her waist. She methodically clips her carabiner into the small metal piton that protrudes from the rock overhead, digs her fingers into the small cracks that line the wall, and lifts her 5'2" frame toward the sky. Her head darts every which way, examining the rocks and plotting her next move. She launches her body from the rock, reaching for the next overhang, and falls into the open air, the ropes tightening on the anchor point to catch her. She grunts, then lets out a giggle. Dangling thousands of feet above the ground, she is spun around by the wind. After a few breaths, she's ready to refocus—determined to keep climbing until she reaches the top.

Leaving the Ground
The history of rock climbing is steeped with images of dangerous ascents, treacherous conditions, and grueling physical demands requiring brute strength and mental toughness. It was unequivocally masculine.

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It wasn't even considered a sport at first—rock climbing began as a training tool for alpinists preparing to battle unforgiving ascents in the Alps. In the late 1940s, it became a competitive sport, but still, the first climbing gym in this country (Vertical World in Seattle) didn't open until 1987. For the next decade, growth of climbing gyms was slow, and most climbers stuck to the outdoors except in the off-season. Then in the mid-to late-'90s, entrepreneurs inspired by the burgeoning fitness industry started opening more indoor facilities, jump-starting climbing's reach into the mainstream.

Today, 7.1 million Americans participate in some type of rock climbing—that's up 12 percent from 2006. In the past 20-some years, almost 900 climbing gyms have opened in the United States and Canada, according to the Mountain Project climbing resource. And it's not slowing down: The number of climbing gyms worldwide grew by 50 percent between 2007 and 2012, and experts estimate that hundreds of existing fitness centers will add climbing walls to their facilities this year.

And that's just indoor climbing areas. Boulders in outdoor city spaces are now fair game for climbers, vacation companies offer climbing packages, and increasingly more hotels teach rock climbing right along with horseback riding and snorkeling.

Susanica Tam

Girls Who Rock
Best of all, climbing is no longer just a boys' club: According to the International Federation of Sports Climbing (IFSC), women now make up 38 percent of its membership (and that doesn't account for recreational climbers).

That's a far cry from the number of ladies regularly climbing in 1998, the year that DiGiulian, age 6, first tried rock climbing at her older brother's birthday party. Within minutes, she was ascending the walls. She was hooked. But as she got older and started competing, she never dreamed it would be her future career. "I didn't know any women who were making a sufficient income solely from climbing. Sure, some existed—but they were few and far between," says DiGiulian.

Today, the professional climber has solidified herself as one of the biggest names in the sport, female or male. At 18, she took first place overall at the IFSC Climbing World Championships and has since become the first woman to reach the top of Italy's 9,754-foot-tall Bellavista Mountain, with its 1,200 feet of cliff climbing; she's also the third woman of all time (first and only from North America)—and the youngest female ever—to surmount a 5.14d grade climb (see our "Climbing Grades 101" infographic, at right). She's earned sponsorship deals from brands such as Adidas and Red Bull and has more than 45,000 Instagram followers and 94,000 Facebook fans.

"Tackling 'first female' ascents [like Bellavista] isn't just about me," DiGiulian says. "It opens the floodgates to other women's progress. Women climbing strong helps prove to us all that we are more equal than we may think in climbing—especially on more technical, endurance-oriented routes."

The industry is taking note, catering to women like never before. In Yosemite National Park, for instance, the Girls on Granite program enlists female instructors to teach women of all skill levels how to climb—sometimes even as part of birthday and bachelorette parties. Whereas the sport was once intimidating to most mere mortals, today's climbing culture welcomes and inspires women to discover their own strengths.

Fitter Body, Stronger Mind
One picture of DiGiulian's body could sell more than a few women on the workout. "The physique you get from climbing is...well, it garners quite a few compliments," she says, laughing. "And to climb well, you don't need to be a macho man. In fact, being light and fit is very practical."

Like a dancer or gymnast, the best climber aims for a high strength-to-body weight ratio. And the workout itself helps develop that: Climbing seamlessly blends cardio and strength training into one session, keeping your heart racing while engaging more muscle than just about any other workout—from your large, calorie-torching muscles, such as glutes and triceps, to your tiny stabilizers. The constant climbing, pulling, twisting, and pushing helps improve mobility and increase functional fitness (i.e., moving your body the way it was designed to move); it even boosts grip strength, which is often overlooked by women but is tightly linked with overall strength and fitness. Oh, and it's also one of the most effective and efficient ways to strengthen your core. "Your core and your hips are essentially what drive your power and provide balance," DiGiulian says. "Your core connects your upper- and lower-body movements, improving your ability to engage while on the wall. Every time you climb, your core gets stronger."

Keith Ladzinski

"Climbing completely changed my body," says Mercedes Pollmeier, fitness director at Vertical World. "I had never felt so strong before. I can do pullups now." (Something she couldn't do even in her days as a semipro tennis player!)

But the body benefits are only half of the draw. Making it up routes—or "problems," as they're referred to in bouldering (see "The New Style," below)—involves constant problem solving and mental dexterity. To reach that hold, should I raise my foot or swing my body to the right? How can I balance on that overhang? Every little move you make could either advance your climb or take you down the wall. "You learn from failing," says Pollmeier. "You immediately know what you did wrong."

That constant fail-fall-repeat instills a new sense of mental toughness—and focus. When you're balancing 40 feet off the ground and reaching for your next hold, you can't let your mind wander to your tough day at work or that annoying fight with your significant other. "When I'm climbing, I feel like I exist in another realm where everything else fades away," DiGiulian says. "I focus on my movements, the rocks, and find my flow."

It's a form of active meditation that few other mind-body practices offer. You're in tune with your body and mindful of your movements, but you can't zone out; the heightened mindfulness is what gets you to the top—where you score the biggest benefits. "Making it to the top comes with an unparalleled sense of satisfaction," DiGiulian says. "It's the strongest feeling I've ever felt in my life."

The New Style
A newer climbing style called bouldering is also gaining popularity. Once a training exercise for professional climbers, it's now the fastest-growing form of rock climbing. Both at the gym and outside, athletes climb without harness or rope while scaling shorter, 15-foot-tall walls or rocks over cushy crash pads. The comparatively shorter climbs make it more accessible to those who are intimidated by higher ascents (and falls), and its lower gear threshold makes it simpler and less expensive to try.

But bouldering's accessibility doesn't mean it's easy. Without the help of a harness, rope, or partner, climbers (a.k.a. boulderers) rely on their own strength and skills to stay off the crash pad—one reason why climbs typically max out at two minutes. They move quickly from hold to hold, contorting their bodies in shapes you rarely see in traditional climbing. "Bouldering is to sport climbing what sprinting is to marathon running. It's a quick, powerful experience," says DiGiulian, who both sport-climbs and boulders. They complement each other: Sport climbing builds endurance and bouldering helps develop power and speed, according to Mercedes Pollmeier, fitness director at Vertical World.

Get A Grip
Four tips for stronger, faster ascents:
• Use Your Toes. Brace yourself on footholds using your big toe and forefoot, which are nimble and anatomically designed to help manage your weight distribution.
• Hug The Wall. Keep your hips close to the wall (read: don't stick your butt out). It positions your center of gravity above your feet to prevent falls and take stress off of your arms.
• Push Off. Initiate moves from your legs. Climbers who mainly pull with their arms (a common rookie move) fatigue faster, no matter how strong they are.
• Be Creative. Women tend to be flexible and have solid balance, helping them reach different (but often more efficient) footholds than male climbers.

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